1. Technical Field
This invention relates to ceiling scrapers and, more particularly, to a ceiling scraper with debris collecting means for removing and collecting drywall spackling from a ceiling.
2. Prior Art
Americans have a love-hate relationship with popcorn ceilings. Back in the 1970s, popcorn ceilings, sprayed-on surfaces that looked like cottage cheese, were everywhere. But tastes change, and yesterday's popcorn ceiling may not be the look you want today. Contractors like them because they're easy to install with a sprayer and they hide imperfections. But many homeowners loathe the cottage cheese look and many bite the aesthetic bullet and hire a contractor to remove the popcorn design from their ceilings.
To save the expense, some homeowners ultimately decide to scrape the popcorn design off them self. Homeowners who are determined to tackle the project themselves should prepare for a lot of work, because, if you want the popcorn design to come down properly, you're in for a tedious, messy job. Removing popcorn ceilings requires a lot of prep work and time. Before scraping the popcorn design, one must have the ceiling tested for asbestos. A professional asbestos testing firm can provide instructions on how to create a ceiling sample. Results typically come back in a few days. The mineral fibers increase the risk of cancer and lung disease if they are released in the air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Undisturbed, asbestos is harmless. If a ceiling contains less than 1 percent asbestos, it is safe for homeowners to scrape.
The do-it-yourself enthusiast must begin the task by covering their floors and furniture with protective drop cloths, which also help contain the debris. Next, they spray sections of the ceiling with water so the popcorn comes off easily with a stiff putty knife. Smart scrapers hold a bucket underneath the scraper so that not all the debris falls on the floor. Even if a bucket is used, a lot of dust and debris is created which falls outside of the bucket and must be cleaned up later. This, of course, adds to the amount of time and effort taken to accomplish the job. Obviously, it would be advantageous to provide a means for collecting dust and debris that is created during overhead scraping procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,266 to Faraci discloses a vacuum device for scraping and cleaning a ceiling that includes a ceiling scraper and a vacuum accessory. The ceiling scraper has a handle extending rearwardly from a blade with the blade having a scraping edge adapted to scrape materials from a ceiling at the forward edge thereof. The vacuum accessory has a rearward facing vacuum tube which is adapted to engage a vacuum hose from a vacuum device. Further, the vacuum accessory has a covered tray extending forwardly from the vacuum tube with the covered tray having a vacuum slot opposite the vacuum tube. The vacuum slot, the interior of the covered tray and the vacuum tube are all in gaseous communication. Lastly, the vacuum accessory is adapted to releasably hold the ceiling scraper whereby the scraping edge is positioned directly over the vacuum slot. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not prevent the need for a user to climb a ladder to effectively scrape the ceiling.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,663 to Greer discloses a scraper system for removing acoustic texture materials comprised of an integral debris collection assembly. The system is comprised a scraper assembly comprised of a scraper blade maintained at an angle with respect to a handle portion. A band is provided that defines at least a portion of a rectangular perimeter that, in use, is arranged below the scraper blade. A bag is attached to the band so that acoustic texture material removed by the scraper blade falls into the bag. The band is made of resilient material and is attached to the scraper assembly in a manner that allows the band to deflect when it contacts a wall surface adjacent to the ceiling surface. This allows the scraper blade to reach along the wall surface. But the band returns to its original position with the perimeter defined thereby under the blade when the blade is not scraping near the wall surface. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a vacuum for easy cleanup procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,124 to Small discloses a new and improved ceiling surface and texture removal tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device which enables a renovation professional to apply an even, continuous application of liquid to a ceiling texture or surface to facilitate rapid safe removal of said ceiling surface texture materials. The operator is provided with an adjustable scraping tool, having a replaceable scraping blade, and with handle extension attachments for conveniently reaching overhead surfaces. The resultant debris from the removal of ceiling surface or texture is immediately carried away by use of an integrally attached vacuum system, and delivered to a collection hopper for containment and subsequent disposal. The present device provides for a time saving, labor saving, ergonomic and efficient means by which to remove ceiling surfaces and textures while preventing formation of aerosols or dust particles which might otherwise be inhaled and represent a potential health hazard to the user. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a method for attaching the apparatus to a preexisting vacuum.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an apparatus that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for removing spackling from a ceiling. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.